Terror alert prompts mass embassy closures in Islamic world

Increases the bookmark

Western countries planned to closed dozens of diplomatic missions in the Middle East and elsewhere over the weekend as Washington and Interpol issued global security alerts over increasing terror threats.

U.S. embassies across the Islamic world will be shuttered Sunday, while Britain, France and Germany will close their offices in Yemen for at least two days. Canada will shut its mission in Bangladesh on Sunday.

The U.S. State Department announced Thursday the closure of 21 U.S. diplomatic missions in the Middle East and North Africa through the weekend, in particular on Sunday, a workday in the Islamic world.

And on Friday, the department issued a global travel alert, warning of possible terrorist attacks "occurring in or emanating from the Arabian Peninsula."

On Saturday, the Interpol also issued an alert, suspecting al Qaida's involvement in recent jailbreaks in Iraq, Libya Pakistan and other countries, which had led to the escape of hundreds of terrorists and other criminals during past months.

The Paris-based global police body urged its 190 member countries to help "determine whether any of these recent events are coordinated and linked" and to immediately convey any intelligence that could help prevent another incident.

Following the U.S. move, Britain and Germany decided to temporarily close their embassies in Yemen.

The British Foreign Office also asked Britons in Yemen to get out of the area immediately.

"If your don't leave the country now while commercial carriers are still flying it its extremely unlikely that the British government will be able to evacuate you or provide consular assistance," it said.

Germany missions in Yemen would remain closed on Sunday and Monday out of security fears, the Germany Foreign Ministry said.

President Francois Hollande said Saturday France will follow suit.

During a trip to southern France, he said the embassy in Yemen will be closed for several days, adding that "we have elements that lead us to believe that the threat is very serious and other countries have also taken similar steps."

The president also urged French nationals travelling in that region to take precautions.

"We are also conscious that we will have to keep up extreme vigilance in the coming weeks, especially for people travelling in that area," he said.

Canada said Saturday its mission in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka will be closed on Sunday as a precaution amid global alert on possible terror attacks.

Announcing the decision, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development said Saturday that "we take the safety and security of our personnel and our missions overseas seriously."

It added that Canada will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate steps, without going into the details of the measures.

Canadian media reports said the fact that Ottawa is closing its mission in only one of the countries on the U.S. embassy closure list is unusual, although the Canada mission in Dhaka is located near the U.S. embassy.

On Saturday, the White House called a meeting of agency chiefs to "further review the situation and follow-up actions" in the Middle East on Saturday.

Those present at the meeting included top aides to President Barack Obama, secretaries of state, defense and homeland security, and heads of the intelligence agencies.

"Given the nature of the potential threat," Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for homeland security and counterterrorism, has held regular interagency meetings throughout the week to "ensure the U.S. government is taking those appropriate steps," the White House said.

Unnamed U.S. officials said that the Washington alert was issued after they intercepted electronics communications in which senior al Qaida operatives discussed strikes on U.S. interests in the Muslim world.

"The intent is to attack Western, not just the U.S. interests," said Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Although an exact target was unknown, Dempsey believed that the threats were "more specific than ever."